{"id":884,"date":"2012-04-12T13:30:55","date_gmt":"2012-04-12T12:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.egeve.com\/up\/wordpress\/2012\/04\/12\/maximise-your-time-in-12-tips\/"},"modified":"2022-10-29T12:45:59","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T11:45:59","slug":"maximise-your-time-in-12-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.egeve.com\/en\/maximise-your-time-in-12-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Maximise Your Time In 12 Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maximising your time is about focusing on the right things. Don’t just make yourself busy, but be busy doing the things that matter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too many of us use our time to complete unimportant tasks rather than doing the things that really need sorting out. If time really were money, would you really choose to spend it doing the things that you end up doing? Or would you rather gather the maximum return from your \u2018investment\u2019 each day by doing worthwhile things? We show you how to make the most of, and increase, the time you have at your disposal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Identify how you spend your time<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spending a short while working out what you normally do with your time will help you in the long-run. Identifying those areas where time is being wasted and where it is being well spent will help you to prioritise. What counts is not the amount of time that you put in overall, but the amount of time that you spend working on important, worthwhile tasks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Set goals<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s all well and good being efficient with your time, but to what end if you really don\u2019t know how you want to spend it? Many people spend precious time and energy trying to be more efficient without setting goals \u2014 in other words, they don\u2019t focus on the things that are most important to them. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you will know exactly where to concentrate your efforts. Having set goals can also be a good motivator.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Keep a \u2018to do\u2019 list<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can keep a list in your head of things that need doing, but it\u2019s far better to free your mind of this by writing or typing a list, which you can then refer to throughout the day. Your list could be written on a piece of paper, typed and saved on your computer, or held in a Filofax system \u2014 it\u2019s really up to you. Ticking off jobs as you do them can give a real sense of satisfaction and spur you on to complete the rest \u2014 plus, of course, using the list will reduce the amount of time you take up thinking about what you need to do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Prioritise<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no good compiling a list if you put everything in the wrong order! There\u2019s always a temptation to do the things that you want to do first, rather than the things that you need to do. Sort out your priorities and deal with the important things first. Whatever is left incomplete at the end of the day probably didn\u2019t need doing immediately anyway, and can be dealt with on another occasion.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Do it right first time<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you try to complete a task half-heartedly when you\u2019re not really in the mood for it, then it\u2019s likely that you\u2019re not going to complete it properly. Make sure you take the time to do things \u2018right\u2019 or to the best of your ability on the first occasion, so that the fewer mistakes you make, the less time you will waste going back and having to do it all over again. Doing the important things first \u2014 when you\u2019re most \u2018switched on\u2019 and alert \u2014 means you\u2019ll be more likely to do them correctly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Stop putting things off<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people have a tendency to procrastinate and look for ways out of doing what they should actually be doing. It\u2019s especially easy to do this if you\u2019re surrounded by lots of distractions that give you an excuse to put something off. So, try controlling your environment by removing most of those distractions. It is often best to do the thing you\u2019d least like to do first, as all your avoidance tactics will often be aimed at putting off this one task. Just thinking of the reasons why that task should be done should be enough to make you do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Get organised!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being disorganised only wastes time. Think about the time you spend each day trying to locate something in the workplace or at home. You may need to declutter your living and working environment in order to operate more efficiently. Put things that you don\u2019t need well out of the way \u2014 or get rid of them! \u2014 and give things that you frequently use a regular home, so you will know where to find them in the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Delegate<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems obvious, but you can free more time up for yourself by getting others to do jobs for you! The idea is to hand over any tasks that someone else can do \u2014 particularly if they can do them faster or just as well as you. This can be applied in both your work and home environments. Why not hand over the washing up to the kids in return for the lift you\u2019re going to give them later? In the workplace, consider delegating to a colleague: you never know, they may even welcome being given that particular task \u2014 especially if they are good at it!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Multi-task<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is possible to do a few things at the same time to get the most out of the time available. We\u2019re not talking about a massive overload \u2014 just combining your tasks well. For example, while you are out on a run you could listen to that \u2018learn a foreign language\u2019 tape that you\u2019ve always wanted to listen to. Or if you\u2019re travelling on the train, you might be able to catch up on a good book, or even do a bit of work on your laptop. Planning to do a \u2018fun\u2019 activity alongside a routine task will allow you to make the most of whatever it is that you\u2019re doing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Learn to say \u2018no\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning not to put all the pressure on yourself by saying \u2018no\u2019 can be one of the best things to do to free up some time. If someone asks you to do something, ask yourself questions such as \u2018Is it my responsibility?\u2019 or \u2018Am I the best person for the job?\u2019 If the answer is \u2018no\u2019, then don\u2019t take on that particular task. We\u2019re not suggesting that you look for reasons to get out of everything, of course, and you shouldn\u2019t always say \u2018no\u2019 when asked to help out \u2014 but not being the dumping ground for everyone else\u2019s problems can definitely help to maximise the time you have available.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Keep concentrating<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping your focus on the job in hand can help to get it done in next to no time. The only way you can keep your focus is to avoid distractions \u2014 whether these are from people or other external influences. Being properly organised helps you to initially focus, but only by avoiding disruptions will you be able to maintain that focus throughout your tasks and activities. If you really need to get on with something, lock yourself away and switch off your phone until you\u2019ve completed a particular task. You\u2019ll have plenty of time later to reply to any messages or missed calls!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Look after yourself<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody can be on the go all the time \u2014 if you were, you\u2019d soon suffer from burnout! Taking time out and looking after yourself is important, because you will then be able to reach your peak physical and mental levels when necessary. Maintaining a healthy balance in your life should ensure that you respond in the right way and in an efficient manner to problems and tasks \u2014 so that whatever needs doing doesn\u2019t take any longer than it should do!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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